Cycloptichorn wrote:
...
The Iraq problem is both a military counter-terrorist and a political counter-terrorist problem. Liz Chaney's argument was that we cannot solve either of these problems without solving both. And failure of the US to persist in solving both these problems will result in both problems becoming far worse than they are now. Her efforts to coordinate U.S. multilateral efforts to promote and support democracy, expanded education and economic opportunities in the Middle East is an essential part of solving Iraq problems.
I'm sorry to have to tell you, but that wasn't her argument. She didn't say any of the things you listed in her actual piece.
I described the obvious implications of what Liz Chaney wrote. I did not quote her nor did I claim to quote her.
Here, I'll reprint it for your conveinence:
Thanks. The bold face items below in black relate to the nature of the political problem that must be solved.
Quote:Retreat Isn't an Option
By Liz Cheney
Tuesday, January 23, 2007; A17
Sen. Hillary Clinton declared this weekend, " I'm in to win." Anyone
who has watched her remarkable trajectory can have no doubt that
she'll do whatever it takes to win the presidency. I wish she felt the
same way about the war.
In fairness, Clinton, with her proposal for arbitrary caps on troop
levels and hemming and hawing about her vote for the war resolution,
has company on both sides of the aisle. Sen. Joseph Lieberman is the
only national Democrat showing any courage on this issue. We
Republicans -- with help from senators such as Chuck Hagel -- seem
ready to race the Democrats to the bottom.
I'd like to ask the politicians in both parties who are heading for
the hills to stop and reflect on these basic facts:
* We are at war. America faces an existential threat. This is not, as
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has claimed, a "situation to be solved." It would
be nice if we could wake up tomorrow and say, as Sen. Barack Obama
suggested at a Jan. 11 hearing, "Enough is enough." Wishing doesn't
make it so. We will have to fight these terrorists to the death
somewhere, sometime. We can't negotiate with them or "solve" their
jihad. If we quit in Iraq now, we must get ready for a harder, longer,
more deadly struggle later.
* Quitting helps the terrorists. Few politicians want to be known as
spokesmen for retreat. Instead we hear such words as "redeployment,"
"drawdown" or "troop cap." Let's be clear: If we restrict the ability
of our troops to fight and win this war, we help the terrorists. Don't
take my word for it. Read the plans of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Ayman
Zawahiri to drive America from Iraq, establish a base for al-Qaeda and
spread jihad across the Middle East. The terrorists are counting on us
to lose our will and retreat under pressure. We're in danger of
proving them right.
* Beware the polls. In November the American people expressed serious
concerns about Iraq (and about Republican corruption and scandals).
They did not say that they want us to lose this war. They did not say
that they want us to allow Iraq to become a base for al-Qaeda to
conduct global terrorist operations. They did not say that they would
rather we fight the terrorists here at home. Until you see a poll that
asks those questions, don't use election results as an excuse to
retreat.
* Retreat from Iraq hurts us in the broader war. We are fighting the
war on terrorism with allies across the globe, leaders such as Hamid
Karzai in Afghanistan and Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan. Brave
activists are also standing with us, fighting for freedom of speech,
freedom of religion, the empowerment of women. They risk their lives
every day to defeat the forces of terrorism. They can't win without
us, and many of them won't continue to fight if they believe we're
abandoning them. Politicians urging America to quit in Iraq should
explain how we win the war on terrorism once we've scared all of our
allies away.
What about Iran? There is no doubt that an American retreat from Iraq
will embolden Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, making it even less likely that the
Iranian president will bend to the will of the international community
and halt his nuclear weapons program.
A member of Lebanon's parliament recently told me that Lebanese
Sunnis, Shiites and Christians are lining up with Iran and Syria to
fight against Sunnis, Shiites and Christians who want to stand with
America. When I asked him why people were lining up with Iran and
Syria, he said, "Because they know Iran and Syria aren't going
anyplace. We're not so sure about America."
* Our soldiers will win if we let them. Read their blogs. Talk to
them. They know that free people must fight to defend their freedom.
No force on Earth -- especially not an army of terrorists and
insurgents -- can defeat our soldiers militarily. American troops will
win if we show even one-tenth the courage here at home that they show
every day on the battlefield. And by the way, you cannot wish failure
on our soldiers' mission and claim, at the same time, to be supporting
the troops. It just doesn't compute.
I suppose Hillary Clinton's announcement was a sign of progress. In
2007, a woman can run for president and show the same level of courage
and conviction about this war many of her male colleagues have. Steel
in the spine? Not so much.
America deserves better. It's time for everyone -- Republicans and
Democrats -- to stop trying to find ways for America to quit. Victory
is the only option. We must have the fortitude and the courage to do
what it takes. In the words of Winston Churchill, we must deserve
victory.
We must be in it to win.
The writer is former principal deputy assistant secretary of state for
Near Eastern affairs.
Liz Cheney doesn't mention diplomacy or the necessity of working on the government of Iraq at all. Not once. Instead, she lists a bunch of talking points and buzz-phrases without a single bit of substance:
- Retreat Isn't an Option
- We are at war. America faces an existential threat
- Quitting helps the terrorists.
- Beware the polls.
- Retreat from Iraq hurts us in the broader war.
- What about Iran?
- Our soldiers will win if we let them.
- Victory is the only option.
- We must be in it to win.
NONE of the things she discussed has anything to do with what you say her 'point' was. All it is is the same tired, recycled talking points handed out by someone who has no expertise whatsoever with the things she's talking about. Statements such as 'our soldiers will win if we let them' are so stupid as to be embarrassing to see someone write.
In toto, a terrible op-ed with no real analysis of the situation other than Right-wing hopes for victory and plans to blame it on the Dems if they fail to achieve victory. Normally the pieces you post here are quite good, Ican, even if I disagree with them, but this is a most disappointing exception.
Whenever someone says 'Retreat isn't an option' I tend to immediately discount their opinion about military matters, for any qualified military historian will tell you that retreat isn't just an option, but a damned good one in a wide variety of situations. Rhetoric just isn't a substitute for intelligence.
Cycloptichorn[/quote]
'Retreat isn't an option' that will enable us to solve both the Iraq military and political problems with which we are confronted.
That's your usual copout. You cannot provide any valid evidence to support your position so you say it's my responsibility to find the evidence to support your position -- evidence which I think doesn't exist.
